Tate gets £50 million boost
Published on: 05-Dec-2007
The Tate Modern art gallery has received an early Christmas present with the news that it is to receive a £50 million windfall.Culture secretary James Purnell announced the government grant today and it is hoped the money will be used to create a dazzling new building - increasing the gallery's size by around 60 per cent.
The funding was agreed following the comprehensive spending review agreed by ministers in October.
It is anticipated that the new building will attract an additional one million visitors a year to the Tate Modern.
Mr Purnell, speaking at the gallery today, said that this was a "really important moment" for the Tate and for the capital.
He added: "Tate Modern has been a runaway success with the public from the day it opened.
"I know that this new development, which we hope will be completed in time for 2012, will prove once and for all that London is the cultural capital of the world.”
The culture secretary also said that the new extension would allow the gallery to display a lot more of its permanent collection.
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